Why do other have a say in who buys a team exp. Cubs I don't think they do it in other sports why in baseball?

Question

Why Do Other OWNERS!

Answer 1

Think of buying a baseball team as you would think of joining a Country Club. The members (owners) get to vote who gets into the club. This is actually pretty smart since you don't want someone who can't afford the dues to join or you don't want someone who will embarrass the other club members in public or someone who doesn't fit well with the culture of the club.

Answer 2

Just the name alone gets people intersted. Everyone that has a pulse knows about the Chicago Cubs. They play their games in a neighborhood park that hasn't changed that much (except for the addition of lights), in a city that is the 3rd largest in the nation and MLB wants to be sure that there is integrity when making a deal such as this. Remember Marge Schott? She almost ran that team into the ground. There are some owners (Ted Turner, for example) that have done good not only for the game, they've done good for the communities they live in.

Answer 3

I believe it's like that in most American Pro sports leagues. The NFL is definately like that, I know because the Boston Herald had a bunch of stories on the Kraft family buying the Pats a while back.

I think it just give the existing ownership a say in who can join the league. Like if they think the new ownership will be a detriment to the league as a whole. (i.e. Only out for money, not the game, etc.)

Answer 4

MLB has an exemption from US anti-trust laws (thanks to a very poorly crafted Supreme Court decision) and therefore can act in anti-competitive ways, such as approving or denying someone entry into the owner fraternity.